Chair-roller.



No. 879,351. -PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

W. M. ARCHIBALD.

CHAIR ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1o. 1907.

fur norms Prrnvs ca., wAsmnGroN. v c,

WILLIAM M. ARCHIBALD, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

CHAIR-ROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18 1 908.

Application filed August l0. 1907. Serial No. 388.030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. Anoni- BALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chair-Rollers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying'drawk ings.

My invention relates to improvements in rollers for chairs, particularly rocking chairs.

The object of the invention is to provide .upon the rear ends of the rockers of a rocking chair or the like one or more rollers which will enable it to be easily and conveniently moved from place to place when it is tilted back upon such roller or rollers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roller device of this character which may be readily applied to and removed from rocking chairs of various kinds.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my invention to a rocking chair; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device and the rear ends of the chair rockers; Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of' one of the rockers, Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section through one side of the device; Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section, and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with parts in section, of a slightly modiiied form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. l to 5 inclusive of the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a rocking chair, cradle or the like having rockers, 2 and 3 denote my improved.

roller device which is preferably in the form of an attachment for ready application to and removal from the rockers. This device comprises an axle 4 composed of two similar half sections 4a, 4b which are adapted to be detachable connected by a sliding sleeve 5. The inner ends of the axle sections telescope into the opposite ends of the sleeve or tube 5 and contact each other as shown in Fig. 4. The sleeve is preferably retained in its adjusted position on said ends of the axle sections by forming in one end of it a bayonet slot 6 to receive a pin 7 upon one of said axle sections.

The outer ends of the two axley sections are adapted to enter sockets or openings 8 which are formed, in transverse alinement, in the inner faces of the rockers 2; and upon said axle sections adjacent to their `outer ends are ournaled two rollers 9of any suitable form and construction. As shown, said rollers are of cylindrical form andare arranged between washers 10, 11, the former of which engages the inner face of one of the rockers and the latter of which is held against longitudinal movement on the axle by a split elastic ring 12 sprung into an annularv groove 13 formed in the axle, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. the axle may be so located adjacent to the ends of the rockers that the peripheries of the rollers 9- will project beyond the tread and rear ends of the rockers; but in order to enable comparatively small rollers 9` to be eflfectively used, I preferably notch ory cut away the rear ends of the rockers 2, as shown at 14 so as to provide rearwardly projecting portions 15 in which the openings 8 are formed, as shown in Fig. 3. By shaping the rear end of the rockers in this manner, it will be seen that the peripheries of the rollers form continuations of the treads of the rockers and therefore do not interfere with the rocking movement of a chair, cradle or the like on which they are used.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown rollers 16 of spherical shape formed integral with a straight axle or rod 17. The axle 1.7 is adapted to rotate and its ends are removably engaged with transverse bearing openings 18 formed in the two rockers. The ends or portions of the axle 17 that project beyond the rollers or balls 16 are of such length that when one of them is pushed into the openings 18 in one rocker until the adjacent roller contacts the latter the other end of the axle may be slipped into the bearing openings in the other roller. In this way the device may be applied or removed at will and there will be little or no danger of it becoming casually or accidentally detached from the rockers. To prevent all possibility of the device becoming casually detached from the rockers and to strengthen and reinforce the two rockers, I may employ a tie rod or bolt 19 which is arranged adjacent to the axle. This bolt 19 passes through transverse apertures in the two rockers and has a head at one end and a threaded portion at its other to enter a nut 20. This nut and the head of the bolt are The openings 8 for the ends of preferably sunk into the outer faces of the rockers, as shown.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the chair is tilted backwardly it will be supported by the rollers so that it may be readily pushed or drawn about like a wheelbarrow or truck. The provision of said rollers not only enables heavy chairs to be conveniently moved about by persons of comparatively. little strength, but also obviates the noise incident to dragging rockers over the floor of a room or porch and still further prevents the floor from being scratched or otherwise marred. Owing to the simple construction of the device it will be seen that it may be produced at a small cost, that it may be conveniently applied to or removed from rockers or the. like of vvarious kinds, and that it will be strong and durable in use.

Having thus described my invention what y I claim is z- 1. The combination with the rockers of a chair or the like, said rockers having transversely alined apertures or seats, of an axle composed of detachably connected sections and having its outer ends projecting into the apertures or seats in the rockers, said outer ends being formed in annular grooves, split elastic rings arranged in said grooves, rollers loosely mounted upon the ends of the axle between said rings and the rockers, and washers arranged upon the axle on opposite sides of said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination With the rockers of a chair or the like, said rockers having transversely alined apertures or seats, of an axle composed of two sections and having the outer ends of its sections engaged with the openings or seats in said rockers, a sleeve to receive and slide upon the inner ends of the sections of the axle, means for retaining said sleeve upon said sections and rollers journaled upon said axle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the rockers of a chair or the like, said rockers having transversely alined apertures or seats, of an axle composed of two sections and having the outer ends of its sections engaged with the openings or seats in said rockers, a sleeve to receive and slide upon the inner ends of said sections and formed with a bayonet slot, a pin upon one of the axle sections to enter the slot in the sleeve, and rollers arranged upon said axle adj acent'to its end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM LNI. ARCHIBALD.

Vitnesses:

E. E. KINNE, E. H. PAxoN. 

